DOCSLIB.ORG

Muhammad Abduh's Contributions to Modernity

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Muhammad Abduh's Contributions to Modernity ISSN: 2186-845X ISSN: 2186-8441 Print アシエン ヅロナル オフ メネゲメント サイネセゾ アナド エグケサン Vol. 1. No. 1. April 2012 MUHAMMAD ABDUH’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO MODERNITY Ahmad N. Amir, Abdi O. Shuriye, Ahmad F. Ismail Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia MALAYSIA. [email protected] ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the contributions of Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abduh to modernity, and his struggle for change and reform in al-Azhar and Egyptian society. Abduh was hailed as the “first leader of modern thought in Egypt”, “the father of the 20 th century Muslim thought” and “pioneers of the modernist movement in the Arab world”, whose legacy in the history of Islamic reform was significant, carrying dynamic role in the transformation and reinterpretation of Islam in contemporary thought. His contribution to Islamic modernism was clearly seen in liberalizing the educational system, restructuring the mufti (jurist consult) office, transforming the Islamic worldview, championing Islamic feminism and integrating western and Islamic ideals and tradition. Keywords: Muhammad Abduh, Islamic modernism, educational reform, Pan Islam, Western and Islamic ideals. INTRODUCTION The contributions of Muhammad Abduh to modern Islamic movement was definitive, and his role in the formation of the 20 th century Islamic reform was phenomenal, for “he had inaugurated a new temper of religion and scholarship in Egypt to which ‘more than any other single man (he) gave…a centre of gravity and created…a literature inspired by definite ideas of progress within an Islamic framework.” (H.A.R. Gibb, 1928). This paper discusses Abduh’s contribution to modernity and his dynamic influences throughout the Muslim society. It will begin with brief discussion on the meaning and definition of modernity and modernist Islam with extensive reference to works of several academic authorities in the field. The Nature of Modernity Modernity, or the modern age, is usually defined as post-traditional, post-medieval historical period (Heidegger 1938, 66-67), marked by the move from feudalism toward capitalism, industrialization, secularization, rationalization, the nation-state and its constituent institutions and forms of surveillance (Barker 2004, 444). From conceptual understanding, modernity relates to modern era and to modernism, but forms a distinct idea. Whereas the enlightenment refers to specific movement in western philosophy, modernity tends to refer only to social relations associated with the rise of capitalism. Modernity may also refer to certain intellectual cultures, particularly the movement associated with secularization and post-industrial life, such as Marxism, existentialism, and some formal establishment of social science. Modernity has been (株株株) リナ＆ルナインターナショナルルル www. leena-luna.co.jp 小山市、日本. P a g e | 63 ISSN: 2186-845X ISSN: 2186-8441 Print Vol. 1. No. 1, April 2012 ASIAN JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES AND EDUCATION associated contextually with intellectual movement of 1436-1789 and extending to 1970s or later period (Toulmin 1992, 3-5). Modernity denotes the renunciation of the past, favoring a new beginning, and a reinterpretation of historical origin. Central to modernity is the emancipation from religion, especially the hegemony of Christianity, and subsequent call for secularization. The idea of modernity has many ramifications in politics, sociology, culture, philosophy, science, and art. The distinction between modernity and modernism, modern, and modernization begin to arise in the nineteenth century (Delanty 2007) with such attempt to define its precise meaning and nature in modern time. John F. Wilson defined “modern” as “a correlative term: it implies what is new as opposed to what is ancient, what is innovative as opposed to what is traditional or handed down.” (Wilson 1987, 18). Modern, therefore, must be viewed as a relative term historically (e.g. what one considered to be modern sculpture of architecture in 1900 was much different than the modern expressions of art in 1990). (Berry, 1990, 7). Richard Bendix describe ‘modern society’ as “the social conditions of the present, or of recent times including the present, as contrasted with those of an earlier period.” (Richard Bendix 1968, 275). Modern, in one way, is an innovative present age as contrasted to modernization, which is a “programmatic remaking of the political and economic aspects of society in support of the new” (John Wilson, 10), which shows that the process of modernization remakes or reforms the traditional character of political and economic institutions of a given culture based on the affirmation of new discoveries or innovations. Wilson reserves modernization to politics and economics, and prefer to coin modernism with religious tradition. Peter Berger defined modernization as: “the growth and diffusion of a set of institutions rooted in the transformation of the economy by means of technology”. (Peter Berger 1974, 9). Modernism, in its widest definition, is modern thought, character and practiced. Specifically, it describes the modernist movement in the arts, its set of cultural tendencies and associated cultural movements, arising from far-reaching changes to Western societies in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries. The development of modern industrial societies, the rapid growth of cities and the eruption of World War I, were major factors that shaped modernism. Some experts define modernism as “a socially progressive trend of thought that affirms the power of human beings to create, improve and reshape their environment with the aid of practical experimentation, scientific knowledge or technology” (Bermann 1988, 16). Many traditionalists consider modernism as potentially pose greater challenge to religious heritage than modernization. Robert Bellah sees modernism as “an explicit and self conscious commitment to the modern in intellectual and cultural matters” (or at least support of the claims of the new as against its critics and detractors). (Robert Bellah 1970, 72-3). According to him, modernism involves a conscientious effort on the part of the participant to enlighten a particular religious tradition by accommodating or adapting to the cultural or intellectual innovations of the day. Modernism in Christianity refers to the progressive theological thought which developed in the nineteenth and twentieth century. (M.G. Reardon 1987, 14). The work of Christian modernists, www.ajmse.leena-luna.co.jp Leena and Luna International, Oyama, Japan. 64 | P a g e Copyright © 2012 ISSN: 2186-845X ISSN: 2186-8441 Print アシエン ヅロナル オフ メネゲメント サイネセゾ アナド エグケサン Vol. 1. No. 1. April 2012 such as Alfred Loisy, Ernst Troeltsch, William Bousset and others reflected the progressive spirit of Christian modernist thought since nineteenth century. The same period witness the emergent of Muslim modernists of high standing such as Sir Sayyid Ahmad khan, Ameer Ali, Muhammad Iqbal, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Shaykh Muhammad Abduh and Muhammad Rashid Rida. Modernist movement constitutes radical new direction in approaching art, architecture, music, literature, culture, letters, design, and technology especially in the late 20th century which stress on freedom of expression, experimentation, radicalism and revolutionary concept and ideas. Islamic Modernism Islamic modernism is fundamentally a religious reform, which “constitutes an attempt to free the religion of Islam from the shackles of a too rigid orthodoxy, and to accomplish reforms which will render it adaptable to the complex demands of modern life. It is inspired and dominated chiefly by theological considerations (Charles C. Adams, 2010). From this definition, Charles C. Adams sees religious reformism as dominated by theological considerations to free Islam from the rigidity of orthodoxy and showing it adaptability to the demands of modern life. He distinguished Egyptian modernist from the reforms instituted by the Indian group of rationalist reformers, who aim primarily at a cultural movement, and the adjustment of Islam to the conditions of modern European civilization” (Charles C. Adams, 2010). In his important and decisive analysis of political Islam, John L. Esposito gave a riveting account on the aspiration of Islamic modernist: “Islamic modernists asserted the need to revive the Muslim community through a process of a reinterpretation or reformulation of their Islamic heritage in light of the contemporary world. It is a respond to the political, cultural, and scientific challenge of the West and modern life. The modernist attempted to show the compatibility (and thus acceptability) of Islam with modern ideas and institutions, whether they be reason, science and technology, or democracy, constitutionalism and representative government” (Esposito, 1984). According to him, Islamic modernism was a response both to the continued weaknesses and to the external political and religio-cultural threat of colonialism. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World defined modernism as the struggle of “Islamic modernists to advocate flexible, continuous reinterpretation of Islam so that Muslims may develop institutions of education, law, and politics suitable to modern condition” (David Commins 1995, 118). R Hrair Dekmejian has distinguished the claim of Islamic modernist and conservatives in which the modernist “seeks to reform and adapt it to contemporary life, while the conservatives cling to the traditional Islamic precepts and reject Western and other influences (R. Hrair Dekmejian 1985, 21). Hisham Sharabi in his brilliant analysis
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Clash of Thoughts Within the Arab Discourse
    University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2009 The Clash Of Thoughts Within The Arab Discourse Chadia Louai University of Central Florida Part of the Political Science Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Louai, Chadia, "The Clash Of Thoughts Within The Arab Discourse" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 4114. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4114 CLASH OF THOUGHTS WITHIN THE CONTEMPORARY ARAB DISCOURSE By CHADIA LOUAI L.D. University Hassan II, 1992 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Arts In the department of Political Science In the College of Sciences At the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2009 Major Professor: Houman A. Sadri ©2009 Chadia Louai ii ABSTRACT The Clash of Civilization thesis by Samuel Huntington and the claims of other scholars such as Bernard Lewis reinforced the impression in the West that the Arab world is a homogeneous and rigid entity ready to clash with other civilizations. In fact, some in the West argue that world civilizations have religious characteristics, for that reason the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will be primarily cultural and religious. However, other scholars argue that there is no single Islamic culture but rather multiple types of political Islam and different perception of it.
    [Show full text]
  • Meeting the Challenges of Modernity As Experienced by Said Nursi
    Meeting the Challenges of Modernity as Experienced by Said Nursi, Muhammad Iqbal and Muhammad Abduh By Nuriye Aksoy A thesis submitted to the Graduate School-New Brunswick Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Arts Graduate Program in Religious Studies Written under the direction of Jawid Mojaddedi And approved by -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- New Brunswick, New Jersey May, 2015 ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS Meeting the Challenges of Modernity as Experienced by Said Nursi, Muhammad Iqbal and Muhammad Abduh By NURIYE AKSOY Thesis Director: Jawid Mojaddedi One of the core debates of the Muslim intellectuals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was on the question of whether Islam could or should embrace change. If so, then how would this change take place in meeting the current challenges, while also staying faithful to the primary teachings of Islam? Muslims, and non-Muslims alike were directly or indirectly influenced by the “modern” trends brought by the West. Did “modern” values always signify progress and value? To what extent would modern principles be adopted in the Islamic tradition? These were certainly a few of the many questions raised by pioneer figures of “modernity” like Said Nursi (d. 1960), Muhammad Iqbal (d.1938) and Muhammad Abduh (d.1905). As I have come to hypothesize prior to my research, their distinct educational background and context had great significant and lasting impacts in the unique approaches that they undertook in regards to bringing change. As I have concluded, the ways in which they have dealt with these “modern” challenges, as well as opportunities, were not only an inspiration for their own generations, but also relevant to many Muslims to this day.
    [Show full text]
  • I Am a Salafi : a Study of the Actual and Imagined Identities of Salafis
    The Hashemite Kingdom Jordan The Deposit Number at The National Library (2014/5/2464) 251.541 Mohammad Abu Rumman I Am A Salafi A Study of The Actual And Imagined Identities of Salafis / by Mohammad Abu Rumman Amman:Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, 2014 Deposit No.:2014/5/2464 Descriptors://Islamic Groups//Islamic Movement Published in 2014 by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Jordan & Iraq FES Jordan & Iraq P.O. Box 941876 Amman 11194 Jordan Email: [email protected] Website: www.fes-jordan.org Not for sale © FES Jordan & Iraq All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the publishers. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are solely those of the original author. They do not necessarily represent those of the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung or the editor. Translation: Dr. Hassan Barari Editing: Amy Henderson Cover: YADONIA Group Printing: Economic Printing Press ISBN: 978-9957-484-41-5 2nd Edition 2017 2 I AM A SALAFI A Study of the Actual and Imagined Identities of Salafis by Mohammad Abu Rumman 3 4 Dedication To my parents Hoping that this modest endeavor will be a reward for your efforts and dedication 5 Table of Contents DEDICATION ........................................................................................................ 5 FOREWORD .......................................................................................................... 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Trends in Southeast Asia
    ISSN 0219-3213 2016 no. 9 Trends in Southeast Asia THE EXTENSIVE SALAFIZATION OF MALAYSIAN ISLAM AHMAD FAUZI ABDUL HAMID TRS9/16s ISBN 978-981-4762-51-9 30 Heng Mui Keng Terrace Singapore 119614 http://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg 9 789814 762519 Trends in Southeast Asia 16-1461 01 Trends_2016-09.indd 1 29/6/16 4:52 PM The ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute (formerly Institute of Southeast Asian Studies) was established in 1968. It is an autonomous regional research centre for scholars and specialists concerned with modern Southeast Asia. The Institute’s research is structured under Regional Economic Studies (RES), Regional Social and Cultural Studies (RSCS) and Regional Strategic and Political Studies (RSPS), and through country- based programmes. It also houses the ASEAN Studies Centre (ASC), Singapore’s APEC Study Centre, as well as the Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre (NSC) and its Archaeology Unit. 16-1461 01 Trends_2016-09.indd 2 29/6/16 4:52 PM 2016 no. 9 Trends in Southeast Asia THE EXTENSIVE SALAFIZATION OF MALAYSIAN ISLAM AHMAD FAUZI ABDUL HAMID 16-1461 01 Trends_2016-09.indd 3 29/6/16 4:52 PM Published by: ISEAS Publishing 30 Heng Mui Keng Terrace Singapore 119614 [email protected] http://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg © 2016 ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission. The author is wholly responsible for the views expressed in this book which do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • A REAL THREAT from WITHIN: Muhammadiyah's Identity
    Suaidi Asyari A REAL THREAT FROM WITHIN: Muhammadiyah’s Identity Metamorphosis and the Dilemma of Democracy Suaidi Asyari IAIN Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin - Jambi Abstract: This paper will look at Muhammadiyah as a constantly metamorphosing organism from which have grown modernist-reformist, liberalist progressive, political pragmatist and potentially violent fundamentalist-radical Muslims. It will argue that the trajectory passed by and the victory of the radical-puritan element in the National Congress 2005 can potentially become an obstacle for Muhammadiyah's involvement in the process of implementing democratic values in Indonesia in the future. To keep watching Muhammadiyah’s trajectory is crucially important due to the fact that this organization is one of the powerful forces in the world toward the democratization process. In order to be on the right track of democracy, Muhammadiyah has to be able to cope with its internal disputes over democratic values. Only by means of coping with these internal disputes can this organization ensure its role in propagating and disseminating democratic ideas as well as practices in Indonesia. Keywords: Muhammadiyah, metamorphoses, identity, democracy Introduction: An Overview of Muhammadiyah To date, Muhammadiyah has been plausibly assumed to be a moderate Islamic organization which is in a similar position to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and does not have any connections with radical individuals or organizations that could be associated with radical Islamic ideology. This paper will I argue that there are some important 18 JOURNAL OF INDONESIAN ISLAM Volume 01, Number 01, June 2007 Muhammadiyah and the Dilemma of Democracy factors that have been overlooked or ignored in this understanding of Muhammadiyah.
    [Show full text]
  • The Islamic View of Christians: Qur'an and Hadith
    The Islamic view of Christians: Qur’an and Hadith CHRISTINE SCHIRRMACHER Muslims (sometimes even Nonmuslims) complain about Christians - or Western society - insisting on portraying Islam as “the enemy”. They believe that Christians especially precondemn Muslims whereas Muslims “tolerate” Christians and accept them “without prejudice”. But is that really the whole picture? What does the Qur’an and Muslim Tradition (hadith) teach when it comes to Christians, the Christian faith and the Bible? What will an “average” Muslim think coming into contact with a Christian? Would he think more positively about Christians or be hesitant and distance himself from them? Since Islam was not proclaimed by Muhammad until the 7th century AD the Bible can contain no explicit judgement about Islam. Any opinion that Christians have about Islam arises out of their general understanding of Scripture which leads to an enormous variety of opinions and positions about Islam both inside and outside the Christians churches. When Christians are accused of not being enough open for interreligious dialogue with Muslims and of not even expecting to find part of God’s revelation and truth in Islam, people often do not keep in mind that convinced Muslims would never accept such an approach to dialogue either. Contrary to the Christian who has to find his own position concerning Islam, the Muslim picture of Christianity and the Christian faith is already relatively fixed. It is fixed because of the Qur’anic statements which as a revelation after Christ makes many statements about Christians and the Christian faith which have been later all in all underlined and confirmed by Muslim tradition (hadith).
    [Show full text]
  • Muhammad Abduh’Sreading of Q1:7 and Its Implications Forcurrent Muslim-Jewish Relations
    Israel Shrenzel Against the Mainstream: Muhammad Abduh’sReading of Q1:7 and its Implications forCurrent Muslim-Jewish Relations Abduh and the Tafsir al-Manar Egyptian scholarMuhammad Abduh (1849–1905) is of course awell-known fig- ure in Muslim circlesand beyond.¹ It is suffice to mention that he is considered the founding father of Islamic Modernism, the school of thought that preached a deep reform of the dominant attitudes of Muslims, in order to narrowsignificant- ly the gapbetween Islamic values and Western thought.This led to his readiness to borrow ideas and practices from the West,like democracy, rule of law, educa- tional reform, free thought and research, improvingthe status of women, and relations with believers from other faiths. He was an al-Azhar graduateand then asenior teacher at that institute, and in his last years, he was also the Mufti of Egypt.Animportant pillar of his project was to provethat all these changes are authorized and even mandated by Islam- ic sources—the Qur’an, Hadith, and the models of behavior exemplified by the Salaf—the ancient fathers of Islam, roughly, the first threegenerations after the Prophet.Those sources are to go through aprocess of Ijtihad, are-interpre- tation; thus, they willbetotallycompetent to deal with the challenges confront- ing Muslims in the modern era. The main tool used by Abduh to spread his views was the periodical al- Manar [TheLighthouse]established by his disciple Rashid Rida in 1898. After Ab- duh’sdeath, al-Manar continued its regular publication until Rida’sdeath, in Abduh’sIdeas and impact arediscussed in almost every book on modern Islam.
    [Show full text]
  • Muhammad ‘Abduh’S Reformism: the Modes of Its Dissemination in Pre-Independent Malaysia1
    International Research Journal of Shariah, Muamalat and Islam (IRJSMI) Volume 2 Issue 4 (June 2020) PP. 43-54 DOI: 10.35631/IRJSMI.24005 International Research Journal of Shariah, Muamalat and Islam (IRJSMI) Journal Website: http://irjsmi.com/ eISSN: 2682-8553 MUHAMMAD ‘ABDUH’S REFORMISM: THE MODES OF ITS DISSEMINATION IN PRE-INDEPENDENT MALAYSIA1 Hafiz Zakariya1 1 Department of History & Civilization, International Islamic University Malaysia, Email: [email protected] Article Info: Abstract: Article history: Muhammad ‘Abduh (1849-1905) was a prominent scholar, pedagogue, mufti Received date: 23.12.2019 ‘alim, theologian and reformer. Though trained in traditional Islamic Revised date: 31.12.2019 knowledge, ‘Abduh, who was influenced by the ideas of Jamal al-Din al- Accepted date: 31.05.2020 Afghani, became discontent with the existing methods of traditional Islamic Published date: 10.06.2020 learning. Based in Egypt, ‘Abduh led the late 19th-century Muslim reform to revitalize some aspects of Islamic doctrine and practice to make them To cite this document: compatible with the modern world. This reformist trend called for the reform Zakariya, H. (2020). Muhammad of intellectual stagnation, revitalization of the socio-economic and political ‘Abduh’s Reformism: The Modes of conditions of the ummah, and to make Islam compatible with modernity. Its Dissemination in Pre-Independent ‘Abduh’s progressive reformism found following in various parts of the Malaysia. International Research of Muslim world including the Malay Archipelago. Among those influenced by Shariah, Muamalat and Islam, 2 (4), ‘Abduh in the region were Sheikh Tahir Jalaluddin and Abdullah Ahmad in 43-54. West Sumatra, Syed Sheikh al-Hadi in Malaya, and Kiyai Ahmad Dahlan in Yogyakarta.
    [Show full text]
  • Tradition, Change and Social Reform in the Fatwas of the Imam Muhammad 'Abduh
    American University in Cairo AUC Knowledge Fountain Theses and Dissertations Spring 5-26-2017 Tradition, change and social reform in the fatwas of the Imam Muhammad 'Abduh Malak Tewfik Badrawi The American University in Cairo Follow this and additional works at: https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds Recommended Citation APA Citation Badrawi, M. T. (2017).Tradition, change and social reform in the fatwas of the Imam Muhammad 'Abduh [Master’s thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1438 MLA Citation Badrawi, Malak Tewfik. Tradition, change and social reform in the fatwas of the Imam Muhammad 'Abduh. 2017. American University in Cairo, Master's thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1438 This Master's Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by AUC Knowledge Fountain. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of AUC Knowledge Fountain. For more information, please contact [email protected]. School of Humanities and Social Sciences Tradition, Change and Social Reform in the Fatwas of the Imām Muhammad ‘Abduh A Thesis submitted to ARIC Arabic and Islamic Civilizations in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts by Malak Tewfik Badrawi (under the supervision of Dr. Mohamed Serag) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very grateful to Dr. Mohamed Serag for his guidance. I would like to thank Mr. Yasser Mohammed Isma‘il for helping me with some of the Arabic terminology, and Dr. ‘Abd el-Wahid Nabawi and Mme Nadia Moustafa at Dar al-Watha’iq al- Qawmiya for their kindness.
    [Show full text]
  • Muhammad Abduh's Thought on Muhammadiyah
    QIJIS: Qudus International Journal of Islamic Studies Volume 6, Issue 2, Agustus 2018 MUHAMMAD ABDUH’S THOUGHT ON MUHAMMADIYAH EDUCATIONAL MODERNISM: Tracing The Influence in Its Early Development Muslich Shabir Walisongo State Islamic University [email protected] Sulistiyono Susilo Institute of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies [email protected] Abstract This article originally attempts to particularly find an answer whether the Muslim educational reforms introduced by the Muhammadiyah movement in Indonesia were influenced by the ideas of ‘Abduh. This study was conducted through collecting materials, documents and books written in English, Indonesian and Arabic to assess and analyse the traces of the influence of Muhammad ‘Abduh’s ideas on Muhammadiyah in terms of Muslim educational reform. The results revealed the Muhammadiyah’s educational reform programs were to a significant extent influenced by ‘Abduh and founded on ideas which were undeniably similar to the ideas of ‘Abduh. This suggests that the reform shows traces of a probable but unquantifiable influence of ‘Abduh and that this reform is certainly, at the very least, a reflection of ‘Abduh’s pervasive influence throughout the larger world of Islam. Keywords: Muhammad ‘Abduh, the Muhammadiyah, Educational Reform. |Muslich Shabir dan Sulistiyono Susilo A. Introduction Muhammad ‘Abduh (1849-1905) was one of the most prominent leaders of Islamic reform whose writings and ideas spread widely in the Muslim world, notably in Egypt, Bahrain, Singapore, Russia,
    [Show full text]
  • The Sunni Divide: Understanding Politics and Terrorism in the Arab Middle East
    Center on Terrorism and Counterterrorism at the FOREIGN POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE The Sunni Divide: Understanding Politics And Terrorism In The Arab Middle East By Samuel Helfont THE SUNNI DIVIDE: UNDERSTANDING POLITICS AND TERRORISM IN THE ARAB MIDDLE EAST By Samuel Helfont November 2009 FPRI, 1528 Walnut Street, Suite 610, Philadelphia, PA 19102-3684 www.fpri.org About FPRI Founded in 1955, the Foreign Policy Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to bringing the insights of scholarship to bear on the development of policies that advance U.S. national interests. We add perspective to events by fitting them into the larger historical and cultural context of international politics. About FPRI’s Center on Terrorism and Counterterrorism The Center’s mission is to study the goals, tactics, and strategies of terrorism and develop responses to it, using: advanced technology, scenarios and storyboarding, and simulation and modeling. The focus of the Center’s research is on terrorists, their strategies and tactics, and their objectives, resources, and capabilities for creating multilateral unconstrained disruption. The Center makes projections on future terrorist actions and develops improved systems for protecting our nation’s vital institutions and interests. FPRI, 1528 Walnut Street, Suite 610, Philadelphia, PA 19102-3684 www.fpri.org Table of Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Contemporary Wahhabism Rebranded As Salafism
    FIl se peut q ue quelqu ’un d ise : FIl se peut q ue quelqu ’un d ise : Contemporary Wahhabism rebranded as Salafism: the issue of interpreting the Qur’anic verses and hadith on the Attributes of God and its significance Submitted by Namira NAHOUZA to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Arab and Islamic Studies, April 2009. This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. (signature) ......................................................................................... 1 ABSTRACT This research studies the theology of those Wahhabis who have now named themselves Salafis. For the purpose of the study, they are referred to as the ‘Wahhabis-self-named- Salafis’ (WSNS). The thesis starts with the observation that the WSNS are usually studied from a political perspective, much less frequently a theological one. Recent research has identified that the theological background of all the different factions of the WSNS is one and the same. This is true for the WSNS who advocate a peaceful way to achieve their goals, as well as those who do not. This thesis aims to explore some of the theological issues that unify these factions. This research demonstrates that, because the WSNS are opposed to the very concept of interpretation of the Qur’an and the hadith, especially when these texts deal with important theological issues such as the Attributes of God, they have developed a vision of Islamic history which is entirely different from the one which had traditionally been accepted by most Muslim scholars and Western academics.
    [Show full text]